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Entries from October 2013

October 30, 2013

Each year Grace & Holy Trinity Episcopal Church conducts a joint Blessing of the Animals Service with the Richmond SPCA for the occasion of Saint Francis Day. The pet-friendly service is held outdoors in Monroe Park, facing the church across Laurel Street. It is a wonderfully joyous event for “all creatures great and small.”

At this year’s service, Rev. Bo Millner, Rector of GHTC, delivered a sermon from Luke 16:19-31, the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. Millner says that above all the passage is about love, and we so thoroughly enjoyed his message that we wanted to share it with the readers of our blog:

"Love of God; love of neighbor – that is what this parable lifts up. That is what it calls us to do. So ultimately it is not about the fear of hell, but it is a call to love, to listen to the challenge of scripture and love god, love your neighbor.

You see, this great reversal that is talked about in the parable, where the rich person is in torment and the poor man is consoled, that great reversal is already happening in the ministry and work of Jesus. This parable is addressed to Jesus’ critics on some level. People who were saying to Jesus, “Why do you hang out with prostitutes, corrupt and unpatriotic tax collectors, with the unclean.” Jesus is casting wide the net of love and gathering all those in who had been marginalized. Jesus wanted everyone to join him in that wide embrace

Now, I know that there is a strong tradition in religion that uses fear – fear of hell, fear of punishment – as motivation for people. And I know that there are times in scripture where hard punishments are meted out. Yet, when all is said and done, Jesus who reveals God to us most clearly is all about love. This parable is an urgent call to love God by loving those who cry out for help.

You all know this event is jointly sponsored by GHTC and the Richmond SPCA. The Richmond SPCA has a no-kill policy, but they also have a 'don’t kill the joy' policy when it comes to training animals. I was talking this week to Sarah Babcock who is in charge of teaching training. She told me that when she was growing up, training was all about choke collars and inflicting punishment. When it came time for training and she got the collar out, she said her puppy ran and hid.

Now she uses positive reinforcement techniques and teaches others how to do it. When she goes to get the dogs for training time now, they don’t run and hide. They are all saying 'Me! Me! Me! I want to try!'

You see, here’s the thing. Sarah agreed that you can get your dog to do what you want by using punishment, but what you lose is the relationship, the intimacy, the connection that the animal can have with its humans. Sure, there are times, just like with a toddler about to wander into traffic, where you do whatever you need to do to maintain safety, but as a general principle, the positive approach is the way to go.

There is gospel in this! God does not use a choke collar on us. God loves us and wants a relationship with us. When God shows up, he likes to be met with the uncontrolled joy that is so clearly seen in our beloved animals.

Let us celebrate that love today, with each other, with the world, with the feathered and furry members of God’s beloved creation who count on our love and care and kindness."

To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.

October 29, 2013

We had a wonderful week at our humane center with 60 adoptions! Our wonderful adoption counselors found loving homes for 34 cats and 26 dogs. Our goal is to find homes for 70 orphaned animals this week. You can help spread the word about our available pets and lifesaving work by "liking" and sharing our social media posts on Facebook and tumblr. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Our adoption center is open every day of the week: Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Visit our website to see some of our dogs and cats currently available for adoption, for directions to our Robins-Starr Humane Center, to view the programs and services we offer, and more.

Match Finder tool

If you have not seen the pet you’re looking for among the cats and dogs currently listed on our website, we recommend that you try our free Match Finder tool. This online tool is designed to help you find your new best friend by automatically emailing you when a pet matching your desired criteria is available. If you have any questions, please contact our amazing adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Offsite adoptions

In addition to having many wonderful cats at our humane center, we also have several felines at two PETCO locations in the Richmond area - Short Pump and Carytown. We also have cats available for adoption at the Children's Museum of Richmond - Chesterfield. If you would like to learn more about these felines or set up an appointment to meet them in person, please call our adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Adoption specials

We are celebrating “Adopt a Shelter Dog Month” through the end of October and you can take advantage of 15 percent off all adult dog adoption fees! It's a great time to meet your new best friend.

Alumni updates

Our staff and volunteers love to know what our precious adoptees are up to, so please keep us posted! If you would like to share a picture or story of your adopted pet, please send us an email. If you would like to see your pet featured on one of our social media sites, please tell us in your message that we may share your update.

October 22, 2013

We had a wonderful week at our humane center with 62 adoptions! Our wonderful adoption counselors found loving homes for 32 cats and 30 dogs. Our goal is to find homes for 70 orphaned animals this week. You can help spread the word about our available pets and lifesaving work by "liking" and sharing our social media posts on Facebook and tumblr. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Our adoption center is open every day of the week: Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Visit our website to see some of our dogs and cats currently available for adoption, for directions to our Robins-Starr Humane Center, to view the programs and services we offer, and more.

Match Finder tool

If you have not seen the pet you’re looking for among the cats and dogs currently listed on our website, we recommend that you try our free Match Finder tool. This online tool is designed to help you find your new best friend by automatically emailing you when a pet matching your desired criteria is available. If you have any questions, please contact our amazing adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Offsite adoptions

In addition to having many wonderful cats at our humane center, we also have several felines at two PETCO locations in the Richmond area - Short Pump and Carytown. We also have cats available for adoption at the Children's Museum of Richmond - Chesterfield. If you would like to learn more about these felines or set up an appointment to meet them in person, please call our adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Adoption specials

The month of October begins the “Adopt a Shelter Dog Month” adoption special. All adult dog adoption fees will be discounted 15%!

“Feline Fridays” will also begin in October! Adopters taking home a feline can take advantage of 20% off adoption fees on each Friday during the month of October.

Alumni updates

Our staff and volunteers love to know what our precious adoptees are up to, so please keep us posted! If you would like to share a picture or story of your adopted pet, please send us an email. If you would like to see your pet featured on one of our social media sites, please tell us in your message that we may share your update.

October 21, 2013

Many pet owners who visit our Lora Robins Gift Shop are plagued with the same problem: their beloved canine destroys every toy they buy. We've heard from many pet guardians who have tried toy after toy that promises to be indestructible only to find out their pooch is able to destroy it in a matter of minutes. These owners are not only worried about their canine companions being bored, but also that their dogs may be put in danger by toys that do not live up to their chewing needs. Employees at the Richmond SPCA's Lora Robins Gift Shop heard each pet guardian's frustration and went in search of a solution to their toy crisis. Luckily for canines and their human companions alike, the GoughNut was uncovered.

GoughNuts are a guaranteed indestructible toy that bounces, floats and rolls. This product is made in the USA, and most importantly, is safe. Inside each GoughNut you will find a red safety indicator. If your dog is able to chew through to this layer, you know to stop and mail it back to the company so that they can return you a new GoughNut. Yes, you read that right! If your dog manages to destruct their toy, this company is willing to replace it. They make it very simple: green means “go” and red means “stop.”

Currently, our retail store at our humane center carries the GoughNut Rings in Small, Original and Extreme. The Small GoughNut was designed for small to medium dogs weighing between 10 to 45 pounds. The Extreme is designed with extremely powerful chewers in mind and has a harder formula than the Original. GoughNut Rings are priced from $19.99 to $27.99. If you think a ball is more up your pup's alley, GoughNuts has that, as well. With an extreme bounce and the same durability as the rings, the GoughNut Ball retails for $25.99. As always, all proceeds from the Lora Robins Gift Shop directly benefit the wonderful pets in our care waiting for permanent, loving homes.

If you can't make it in to visit the retail store at our Robins-Starr Humane Center, you can purchase these durable and long-lasting toys through our online store here!

Tiffany Sarvay is the lead retail sales associate at the Richmond SPCA's Lora Robins Gift Shop. To read her biography or that of our other bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires both your first and last name to be used as your screen name.

October 15, 2013

We had a wonderful week at our humane center with 88 adoptions! Our wonderful adoption counselors found loving homes for 64 cats and 24 dogs. Our goal is to find homes for 84 orphaned animals this week. You can help spread the word about our available pets and lifesaving work by "liking" and sharing our social media posts on Facebook and tumblr. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Our adoption center is open every day of the week: Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Visit our website to see some of our dogs and cats currently available for adoption, for directions to our Robins-Starr Humane Center, to view the programs and services we offer, and more.

Match Finder tool

If you have not seen the pet you’re looking for among the cats and dogs currently listed on our website, we recommend that you try our free Match Finder tool. This online tool is designed to help you find your new best friend by automatically emailing you when a pet matching your desired criteria is available. If you have any questions, please contact our amazing adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Offsite adoptions

In addition to having many wonderful cats at our humane center, we also have several felines at two PETCO locations in the Richmond area - Short Pump and Carytown. We also have cats available for adoption at the Children's Museum of Richmond - Chesterfield. If you would like to learn more about these felines or set up an appointment to meet them in person, please call our adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Adoption specials

The month of October begins the “Adopt a Shelter Dog Month” adoption special. All adult dog adoption fees will be discounted 15%!

“Feline Fridays” will also begin in October! Adopters taking home a feline can take advantage of 20% off adoption fees on each Friday during the month of October.

Alumni updates

Our staff and volunteers love to know what our precious adoptees are up to, so please keep us posted! If you would like to share a picture or story of your adopted pet, please send us an email. If you would like to see your pet featured on one of our social media sites, please tell us in your message that we may share your update.

October 11, 2013

My name is Rosie Hogge and I have had the honor of representing the Richmond SPCA this past year as mascot. It has been the most fantastic time, and I am so grateful for the wonderful friends that I have made, whom I would never have met if I had not had this very special role with the Richmond SPCA. My mother, Jacque Hogge, is a physician as well as co-owner of Cooper Vineyards – one of, if not the very best Virginia winery. My mother and I have been very fortunate this year to enjoy the friendship and company of 2011 Richmond SPCA Mascot, Lottie-Da Dula, and her mother Martha, as well as the Richmond SPCA’s very much loved artist and benefactor, Karen Gammon (along with Brooks and Tommy).

I greatly enjoyed all of the events this past year. My absolute favorite was the Christmas Tree Lighting at The Jefferson Hotel with Santa. My mother and I plan on attending this year as guests on Monday, Dec. 2.

I also loved the Dog Jog and 5K Run, and barring unforeseen sports injuries (my mother…) we are planning on jogging again. I know it is good for me, and I'm hoping Brooks, Tommy and Karen will jog with us again in 2014!

There are many other events for the new mascot to look forward to and I wish Isabelle all the best!

I would not be here to give you this message without the help of the Richmond SPCA. My most very grateful thank you goes to the dedicated folks on their admissions team who rescued me from a county shelter two years ago to take me to the Robins-Starr Humane Center, where I was well cared for until mom came to take me home.

Please come and visit me at Cooper Vineyards! We are always “dog friendly.” I am there most weekends to greet you. 2014 will commemorate our 10th Annual Lucy’s Weekend – Cooper Vineyards’ annual benefit for the Richmond SPCA, which is always held over Memorial Weekend.

“The grass is greener and the wine is sweeter, this side of the hill.”

October 09, 2013

What a great celebration of people’s love for animals we had on Saturday evening at the Jefferson for our fifteenth annual Fur Ball! It was truly the biggest and the best one ever. Because number fifteen deserved to be an even more special occasion than our Fur Balls usually are, we did some new fun things and had some special surprises in store for the guests. The evening’s Cinderella theme was apropos of the magical nature of the evening. Of course, the Fur Ball is our sole source of funding for the Cinderella Fund which is what we tap to pay for veterinary care and rehabilitation for the thousands of sick and injured homeless animals who come in to our loving care each year. Without the Fur Ball, we would never be able to save their lives. So, the fun has a very serious purpose. And, I am so deeply grateful to the title sponsor BB&T who made this lifesaving event possible for us.

Pat Manning, Robin Starr and Martha Dula

First, while the guests were having cocktails in the gorgeous Rotunda of the Jefferson, we honored Pat Manning’s remarkable leadership of this event for the past seven years. Then, everyone watched the most delightful display of doggie couture ever seen in the Pet Parade. There was a lot of mariboo, tutus and pearls and even a pair of dogs in elaborate ruffled Scottish plaid outfits that were worthy of Alexander McQueen. The silent auction during cocktails had fabulous packages on it this year and earned the largest amount it has ever done for the care of our sick and injured animals. The pets who came as guests had great fun and received superb care all evening from our volunteers and staff members who served as Pet Escorts.

After we moved up to the ballroom, it was my great pleasure to present the Ellen Glasgow Award to MARTIN's Food Markets which is one of our most devoted and generous corporate donors, giving us all of the food, litter and treats the animals in our care need. The award was accepted by Jim Scanlon, the Regional Vice President of Martin’s and a dedicated member of our Board. He spoke inspiringly of Martin’s belief in the Richmond SPCA and our mission and even took the occasion to announce an additional gift of support that they will make to our fund to buy a much needed new van.
A delicious dinner followed, and the remarkable piece de resistance of the meal was a dessert that looked like a beautiful Cinderella slipper made of white chocolate filled with delicious chocolate truffles. It was a true work of art by Jefferson pastry chef Sara Ayyash and I ate every single delectable bite of mine.

After dessert, we showed a video that reflected the remarkable film making talents of our staff member Louis Handler. It was a Richmond SPCA Cinderella Story. It told the story of a little homeless dog (portrayed by our own alumnus Hoover) who received the veterinary care she needed thanks to the Cinderella Fund and then went to an adoption event where she attended a fantasy ball and met her perfect adopter there. They went off together in a gorgeous carriage and then arrived at the Fur Ball. It was absolutely adorable and made everyone in the audience laugh. You should take a look at it on YouTube. After the video ended, Emerson and Bekkah Hughes sang the gorgeous Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella song “Ten Minutes Ago” to the piano accompaniment of Kathy Hughes. Their voices were stunningly beautiful. The Fur Ball guests were thrilled and delighted by the video and the singing and even more so when we presented Hoover live and in person. Everyone laughed when I confessed to them that Hoover, who is now much loved in his forever home with one of our volunteers, is actually a "Cinderfella." Hoover was the perfect choice for the role, despite the differing gender, because he really did come to us very sick and in need of Cinderella Fund care and now is healthy and very happy.

Auctioneer Mark Motley, emcee Greg McQuade and Bartholomew Broadbent present the South African Wine Tour package on the live auction.

The live auction then began and it was a huge success with the most exciting and amazing auction packages we have ever had. There was a trip through the wineries of South Africa with our Board member, the renowned wine expert Bartholomew Broadbent, and a trip to a cottage in the Cotswolds and then to London. There was a gorgeous diamond ring and a wonderful bathroom renovation package. And, the most fun was to see our new adorable mascot for 2013-14 be anointed. Her name is Isabella and she is the companion of our Board member Jack Nelson and Katherine Gomez. She is a sweet and very easy going girl and will be a delight to have as our mascot as was the darling Rosie Hogge last year. The last part of the auction was the Angel Pledges when our wonderful and dedicated Fur Ball attendees pledged generous contributions to save animals' lives.

Isabelle with guardians Katherine Gomez and Jack Nelson

The fifteenth annual Fur Ball was a huge success for us. While we are still counting, it is clear that the event significantly exceeded our monetary goal for the evening. It also gave our very best friends and supporters a magical evening that they will long remember with their beloved pets. There is nothing more rewarding for us than to know that we will have the resources for the coming year to provide the veterinary care and rehabilitation that thousands of wonderful homeless animals will need. I am so very grateful to the Fur Ball guests whose generosity will make that possible and to our wonderful Fur Ball Chair Pat Manning without whom none of this would have happened.

Robin Robertson Starr is the chief executive officer of the Richmond SPCA. To read her biography or that of our other bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires both your first and last name to be used as your screen name.

October 08, 2013

We had an awesome week at our humane center with 81 adoptions! Our wonderful adoption counselors found loving homes for 40 cats and 41 dogs. Our goal is to find homes for 77 orphaned animals this week. You can help spread the word about our available pets and lifesaving work by "liking" and sharing our social media posts on Facebook and tumblr. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Happy found his forever home after visiting several stations, including NBC12 and Lite98! Paddington visited NBC12 before going home with a wonderful family.

Interested in adopting a pet from the Richmond SPCA?

Our adoption center is open every day of the week: Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Visit our website to see some of our dogs and cats currently available for adoption, for directions to our Robins-Starr Humane Center, to view the programs and services we offer, and more.

Match Finder tool

If you have not seen the pet you’re looking for among the cats and dogs currently listed on our website, we recommend that you try our free Match Finder tool. This online tool is designed to help you find your new best friend by automatically emailing you when a pet matching your desired criteria is available. If you have any questions, please contact our amazing adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Offsite adoptions

In addition to having many wonderful cats at our humane center, we also have several felines at two PETCO locations in the Richmond area - Short Pump and Carytown. We also have cats available for adoption at the Children's Museum of Richmond - Chesterfield. If you would like to learn more about these felines or set up an appointment to meet them in person, please call our adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Adoption specials

The month of October begins the “Adopt a Shelter Dog Month” adoption special. All adult dog adoption fees will be discounted 15%!

“Feline Fridays” will also begin in October! Adopters taking home a feline can take advantage of 20% off adoption fees on each Friday during the month of October.

Alumni updates

Our staff and volunteers love to know what our precious adoptees are up to, so please keep us posted! If you would like to share a picture or story of your adopted pet, please send us an email. If you would like to see your pet featured on one of our social media sites, please tell us in your message that we may share your update.

October 01, 2013

We had an extremely successful week at our humane center with 92 adoptions! Our wonderful adoption counselors found loving homes for 54 cats and 38 dogs. Our goal is to find homes for 75 orphaned animals this week. You can help spread the word about our available pets and lifesaving work by "liking" and sharing our social media posts on Facebook and tumblr. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Happy found his forever home after appearing on multiples stations and shows including NBC12 and Lite98! Paddington visited NBC12 before going home with a wonderful family.

Interested in adopting a pet from the Richmond SPCA?

Our adoption center is open every day of the week: Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Visit our website to see some of our dogs and cats currently available for adoption, for directions to our Robins-Starr Humane Center, to view the programs and services we offer, and more.

Match Finder tool

If you have not seen the pet you’re looking for among the cats and dogs currently listed on our website, we recommend that you try our free Match Finder tool. This online tool is designed to help you find your new best friend by automatically emailing you when a pet matching your desired criteria is available. If you have any questions, please contact our amazing adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Offsite adoptions

In addition to having many wonderful cats at our humane center, we also have several felines at two PETCO locations in the Richmond area - Short Pump and Carytown. We also have cats available for adoption at the Children's Museum of Richmond - Chesterfield. If you would like to learn more about these felines or set up an appointment to meet them in person, please call our adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Adoption specials

The month of October begins the “Adopt a Shelter Dog Month” adoption special. All adult dog adoption fees will be discounted 15%!

“Feline Fridays” will also begin in October! Adopters taking home a feline can take advantage of 20% off adoption fees on each Friday during the month of October.

Alumni updates

Our staff and volunteers love to know what our precious adoptees are up to, so please keep us posted! If you would like to share a picture or story of your adopted pet, please send us an email. If you would like to see your pet featured on one of our social media sites, please tell us in your message that we may share your update.